The atmosphere will be electric Saturday night when John Calipari returns to Rupp Arena for the first time as Arkansas’ head coach to take on No. 12 Kentucky in a nationally televised SEC showdown. Despite his 15 seasons at Kentucky, where he led the Wildcats to a national championship and four Final Fours, Calipari is bracing for boos as he steps onto the floor in an Arkansas polo. The emotions will be high, but the reality is simple—Arkansas (12-8, 1-6 SEC) is struggling, while Kentucky (15-5, 4-3 SEC) is surging after a thrilling 78-73 road win over No. 8 Tennessee on Tuesday. Calipari’s decision to leave Kentucky for Arkansas last spring was one thing. But what really soured the fanbase

The Tennessee Volunteers will look to avenge their worst loss of the season when they host the Florida Gators on Saturday in a marquee SEC clash. Nearly a month after Florida handed Tennessee a humiliating 73-43 defeat, the Volunteers will aim to flip the script in front of their home crowd in Knoxville. Tennessee (17-4, 4-4 SEC) was the No. 1 team in the nation and undefeated at 14-0 when they traveled to Gainesville on Jan. 7, only to be stunned in a 30-point blowout. The Volunteers never held a lead in that game, shot a miserable 21.4% (12-of-56) from the field, and trailed by as many as 36 points in what remains their worst offensive performance of the season.

The Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks are trending in opposite directions as they meet Saturday night in Indianapolis. While the Pacers have surged into the Eastern Conference playoff picture with a dominant January, the Hawks are reeling, trying to snap a seven-game losing streak and cope with a key injury. Indiana (30-21) has been one of the NBA’s hottest teams, winning four of its last five and finishing January with a stellar 10-2 record. After a slow start to the season, the Pacers have rediscovered their offensive identity, averaging 134.5 points in their last two wins. Their latest victory, a 133-119 home triumph over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, showcased their scoring prowess. Indiana shot 56.8% from the field and

The Utah Jazz and Orlando Magic have both endured a rough stretch since they last faced off nearly a month ago, but as they meet again on Saturday in Salt Lake City, both teams are hoping that the start of February brings better results. Utah enters the game on an eight-game losing streak and has dropped 11 of its last 12, while Orlando has lost nine of its last 12. Both teams are searching for a much-needed turnaround as they try to stay competitive in their respective playoff races. Utah (22-27) has been competitive at times, but they continue to fall apart in crucial moments. That trend continued in Thursday’s 138-113 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, where the Jazz were